


Child of the Fae Wild

by Nikkie2571



Category: Faerie Folklore, Original Work
Genre: Autism, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Feral Behavior, Forests, Gen, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:22:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikkie2571/pseuds/Nikkie2571
Summary: Amaranth was very paranoid, there was just too much pointing to him being watched, being stalked.The weird gifts didn't help much either. They didn't tell him what to expect.Discovering what precisely was watching was beyond expectations.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me if the story needs more tags, I'm not sure what else to tag this story with

Amaranth was being watched, had been for some time. Now, mind you, he couldn't  _ prove _ it, not for certain, but he knew it was happening.

The trees and ferns at the edge of his property would often rustle too much when he was tending to his plants, but whenever he looked directly at them, there was never anyone there.

The worst part though was the gifts. Every day there would be some kind of gift left on his porch. Usually, it was dead animals, but sometimes it was a rock or an oddly shaped piece of wood.

Once it had been a human skull. Amaranth hadn't slept well for a few days after it showed up.

"You're being watched," whispered a voice in his ear.

"Thanks," Amaranth said sarcastically. "I totally didn't know that."

The little fae huffed. "There's no need to be so rude all the time!"

Amaranth smiled. "But I'm not rude all the time. Just to you."

Blodwen was glaring at him, he could feel it.

"I'm royalty you prick! You should treat me like it sometime," she complained right into his ear.

Amaranth sighed and put down his copper bucket. "What did the queen do this time?"

“She’s gone crazy!” Blodwen cried. “The king announced an  _ out of season _ feast and the queen is practically frothing at the mouth trying to get us to prepare and have a feast before he does.”

“That’s… Interesting,” Amaranth said slowly. This is precisely the reason he didn’t visit the fae kingdoms very often. The fighting and politics were just too much.

Blodwen scoffed. “It’s downright torture is what it is!” She then sagged, sighing out a big breath of air. “I wish they’d just make up and forgive whatever stupid mistake it was that had them fighting in the first place.

A stick broke somewhere off to the left and Amaranth straightened up.

“You said I was being watched, do you know what’s watching me?”

“Nuh-uh, can’t really tell. There’s too much  _ human _ here, I can’t sense a lot through it.”

Amaranth swore. “Can you put a trap on my doorstep then? Something harmless, but will keep  _ whatever it is _ from leaving?”

“You could do it yourself, you know,” Blodwen said dryly.

Amaranth smirked. “But you’re so much better than me, oh pretty please Blodwen, won’t you do it for your friend?”

Blodwen fluttered off his shoulder and towards his door. “Fine, alright! You stupid lump. You didn’t have to flatter me so horribly.”

Amaranth smiled. “Thank you, Blodwen.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m the best,” she mumbled as she wove the magic of the forest into a trapping spell.

“I have some leftover smoked fish if you’re hungry when you’re done,” Amaranth called.

Blodwen stilled. “You have  _ what? _ ”

“Smoked fish.”

Blodwen stared for a moment. “Well, fuck, alrighty then, guess I’m having fish for dinner. Woo!”

A grin stretched across Amaranth’s face as he watched Blodwen do a silly dance while floating in the air, her little legs dangling like captured worms.

“You should grow up sometime,” Amaranth noted.

She glared and flipped him off. “And you should learn to fuck off some time, I’m gonna eat fucking  _ smoked fish _ tonight, I haven’t had that in  _ ages! _ ”

Amaranth chuckled wholeheartedly.

 

* * *

 

When Amaranth opened his door the next morning, there was not only a dead animal on his porch but also a person.

A very dirty person. It was probably a man, but Amaranth wasn’t sure.

“Are you lost?” Amaranth asked.

The person growled at him like an animal.

Amaranth leaned back into his cottage. “Blodwen, come see this.”

The person growled more when the little fae princess showed her face.

“Well, I can tell he doesn’t like me,” she said with a shake of her head.

“They’re a he?” Amaranth asked.

Blodwen sniffed. “Yeah, definitely.”

“Huh…”

He was still growling. Amaranth was a little concerned.

“Would you like to come inside?” He asked the man.

The man stopped growling, but he didn’t move.

Amaranth turned to Blodwen. “Do you think he can understand me?”

Blodwen’s face was thoughtful. “You’ve got that fae-touching, remember, there’s nothing that can’t be understood by you. The question is if he wants to understand.”

Amaranth thinned his lips. “He can’t stay on my porch.”

“Invite him in with some meat or something, I don’t know! I have to go home, see you later.”

Blodwen fluttered off, her small body quickly disappearing in the thickness of the trees.

Amaranth bit his lip and then crouched down, bringing him level with the man.

“Do you want something to eat?” He asked him.

The man just continued to stare.

“Do you want something… cleaner to wear?”

More staring.

“Can you tell me why you’re here?”

The man licked his lips. “You-” he coughed. His voice sounded broken and wrecked, but high pitched. “You-,l-like rocks?”

Amaranth paused for a moment. This wasn’t an unexpected outcome, but, he hadn’t considered it a likely one. Clearly, this man is the one who’s been watching him.

He didn’t look very well taken care of. Amaranth was fairly sure the man didn’t know how to take care of himself.

“Where do you live?” He asked the man gently. “Do you have a home?”

“L-l-live-, live tree!” The man replied.

Amaranth felt his lips thin. That didn’t sound right.

“How many winters have you lived in that tree?”

The man looked sadly thoughtful for a while, counting on his fingers.

“M-m-more than ten.”

Amaranth frowned. That wasn’t good, wasn’t good at all.

“What’s your name?”

The man, really he was more of a boy, he was only a man in body, frowned. “Name? N-name Not-Child.”

Internally Amaranth flinched. Fuck, that said a  _ lot _ .

He sighed. “Well, that’s not a nice name, is it?”

The man, Amaranth  _ refused _ to call him Not-Child, nodded.

“What do you think of ‘Iorwerth’? ‘Iolyn’ for short?”

The man nodded. “I l-l-like.”

Amaranth nodded back. “Good, that’s very good.”

Iorwerth smiled, face brightening like a sunrise.

Amaranth reached down for Iorwerth’s hand, holding it gently. “Let’s get you-”

Iorwerth pulled back as if stung. “NO!”

Amaranth stared, stunned. “Wh-what’s wrong!?”

Iorwerth whimpered. “T-t-too soft! H-hol-, hold tight!”

Amaranth frowned. This was very concerning. 

“Alright, just, just give me your hand. I’ll hold it tight. I promise.”

Iorwerth looked around nervously for a few moments and then slowly pushed his hand into Amaranth’s.

Amaranth smiled and gripped the larger hand tightly. “Thank you. Now, let’s get you fed. You look quite hungry.”

Iorwerth smiled nervously and followed him inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iorwerth is pronounced (roughly) like how an english speaking person would say "Yurwerth" and Iolyn would roughly be either "Yulin" or "Yulan". I have been unable to find an actual pronunciation for Iolyn, so I only had the Welsh IPA on Wikipedia to go off of.


	2. The First Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Instincts and Memories and desires and needs, all must be fed and known or none shall be pleased

Amaranth watched Iorwerth stuff his face with carrots and potatoes, the utensils he had provided sitting unmoved from where he had placed them.

“You should probably use the spoon I gave you,” Amaranth suggested.

Iorwerth’s eyes flicked up to Amaranth’s face, his brows sinking into a glare. “No.”

Amaranth sighed. “Alright, but don’t complain when you get food all over your hands and face.”

Iorwerth just smiled and continued to eat, chunks of mashed potatoes smearing across his skin. Amaranth could only watch, mildly amused.

“Can you read?” Amaranth asked.

Iorwerth blinked, a handful of food halfway to his face. “R-r-read?”

“Yes, read. Letters that are written down.”

Iorwerth stared at him. “What?”

Amaranth tightened his lips. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’.”

Iorwerth continued to stare, eyes wide, appearing almost frightened. “O-okay,” he said flatly.

Amaranth hung his head in his hands and released a long breath. This was going to be a lot of work. His job may have been to help, but he didn’t think he was up for this level of challenge. He wasn’t sure how much help he could be to Iorwerth.

He doubted anyone he knew would want to try though, so he was really Iorwerth’s only hope.

“Finish your food and join me in the sitting room, will you? That’s the one with the fireplace. Please don’t touch it.”

Amaranth sounded tired even to his own ears.

A huffy breath was released from Iorwerth. “I kn-kn-know not to-to-to-to-to touch fire! Fire hot and b-b-bad, don’t touch fire, not-child, don’t touch oven, not-child, why are your crying not-child I told you not to touch oven!”

Amaranth looked up to see tears in Iorwerth’s eyes, paths of wetness down his cheeks. “A-al-al-always yelling, a-al-al-al-always loud! Al-al-always telling me what to do!” He yelled angrily. “I-I-I-I kn-know what to-to-to-to do! D-d-d-d-d-d-don’t need t-t-telling!”

Amaranth gulped and licked his lips, buying himself time to think. “Okay, Iorwerth. How about this then. I continue to tell you what to do, but if you already know, you tell me and I won’t remind you ever again? That way I don’t remind you of things you do know, but I can help you with things you don’t. Does that sound good?”

Iorwerth growled and narrowed his eyes. “I g-g-guess.” He then got up angrily and walked into the sitting room, crouching down on his haunches and staring with his angry eyes right at Amaranth.

"I take it you're done with food?"

His only response was growling.

Amaranth sighed and gathered the dishes, placing them on the side, to be cleaned later.

"Can you maybe tell me why you're mad instead of just growling?" He asked.

"I did!" Iorwerth said indignantly.

Amaranth levelled a flat emotionless stare at the half-feral manchild. "Perhaps I'm an idiot and need more telling. So, please, tell me why you're mad."

Iorwerth whimpered like he'd been struck. "Y-y-y-you're acting like m-m-mother used to," he whined. "Telling me what to do for everything."

Amaranth blinked slowly, urging himself not to grow annoyed. "I thought we just agreed I'd not do that if you told me."

Iorwerth bent over, chest to the floor, with his hands clenched tightly in his filthy hair. He released a ling whining sound, clearly distressed.

Amaranth sighed and crouched down next to him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I don't want to be like your mother, okay?" He said softly. "I promise you that isn't my intention."

Slowly, Iorwerth raised his head to look at Amaranth, his eyes wide and a bit wet.

"I want you to feel safe and happy here," Amaranth said.

Iorwerth stared silently for one, two, three seconds and then licked Amaranth on the cheek.

"You're pretty…" he mumbled.

Amaranth took the time to blink before he responded, sounding confused even to his own ears. "Uhhhh, thank you?"

Iorwerth wiggled out of his grasp and laid down on the floor without a word, curled into what looks like a guarded sleeping position pointed towards Amaranth.

Amaranth had no idea what to think. Clearly this lust capable child in a man’s body thinks Amaranth is good looking, but… he’s still acting like he can’t trust him, like an animal. He’s resting there, but not sleeping, not willing to put that much trust into someone, even though it seems like he wants to.

Amaranth stands up and ponders this, thinking about what warring desires must be flooding through Iorwerth. The childish desire to love without bounds, and the prey instinct to never give up your guard.

It’s very interesting, and will pose, well… a lot of challenges in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot of half-ideas for this story, I just need time to figure them out


	3. Symbolism

Iorwerth stared at the object in front of him, the black on white meaning nothing to him.

“Okay, this…” The man who smelled like the forest magnified and tasted just the same gestured at one of the marks on the white space, it was pointed and had a line going through it. “…this is the letter ‘A’, it can represent many sounds, but it’s usually the sound ‘ah’. Can you point out other ‘A’s for me?”

Iorwerth turned a confused look at the man, but complied, searching for other marks that looked like this weird ‘A’ symbol. It wasn’t very easy, the marks seeming to blend together like the leaves of a tree, but he found one quickly enough and pointed at it.

“Th-this?” He asked, once again turning to face the other.

The man nodded. “Can you do it again? Point out another ‘A’?”

Iorwerth narrowed his eyes. He didn’t understand why this was important, didn’t know how this would let him “read”, or why being able to “read” was important. Still, it was clearly important for  _ some _ reason, so Iorwerth turned back to the markings and pointed to another ‘A’.

Iorwerth turned back, still with narrowed eyes, and stared at the man.

“Thi-there!” He declared.

The man’s smell shifted as his lips turned up at the edges, turning soft like the air in the morning after a night of rain.

“Very good, Iorwerth,” he said.

Iorwerth blinked, feeling the muscles around his eyes relax. He liked this smell, much more than the man’s normal one. So, he leaned over and smushed his face into the man’s cloth covered chest, wrapping his arms around the other, trying to push himself into the scent.

The muscles under his palms twitched, but the man didn’t try to escape or pull away. This made Iorwerth happy, a small amount of tension leaving his spine as he let his muscles relax just a small amount.

Maybe he would be happy here, in this house, with the man who smelled of the forest.

 

* * *

 

To say that Amaranth wasn't expecting the hug would have been an understatement. Iorwerth seemed to be a ball of swirling emotions, able to pick them up and put them down at a moment's notice. A little concerning, but nothing he wasn't willing to deal with. His patients were often even more erratic.

"Are you… okay, Iorwerth?" He asked carefully.

The other nodded slowly, seeming to enjoy the feel of the fabric on his face.

"I take it we're done reading now? Even though you've learned a single letter?"

Again, the other nodded, and Amaranth could only sigh.

“You’re lucky I’m not all that determined anyway,” Amaranth said with a sigh. “This’ll be a slow process, may as well take it as slow as possible.”

Iorwerth continued to hold onto him, apparently not caring about what Amaranth had to say.

“Are you going to be there for much longer, by the way?” Amaranth asked. “I have to go relieve myself.”

Iorwerth growled but loosened his grip.

Amaranth smiled at him as he stood.

“Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

Amaranth heard a shout as soon as he walked back into the house, Iorwerth’s pitchy cry of pain calling forth urgency he wasn’t used to, but was all too familiar with.

Amaranth stopped as he entered the sitting room once more, a porcelain statuette that he had been given as a gift lay broken on the floor, littering the smoothed wooden surface with small sharp pieces. Iorwerth was crouched over them, apparently he had been trying to pick them up.

Blood was dripping from Iorwerth’s fingers, slowly, but noticeable.

Amaranth rushed over and grabbed the man’s hand, only barely remembering to grip it with force rather than care. Iorwerth wasn’t broken, so Amaranth could afford to grant him that small comfort.

Amaranth prepared his small store of magic inside him, ready to breathe out healing onto the bleeding finger pads, except… something was off. Amaranth rubbed the blood off of Iorwerth’s fingertips, not caring that it would stain his clothes. This brought into view a shrinking, but still sparkling cut, stitching itself back together with magic.

“Wh-where did you learn to do that?” Amaranth asked, his voice quiet and breathy from awe.

Iorwerth blinked at him. “Learn wh-wh-what?”

“T-to heal! I doubt your mother would have taught you.”

Iorwerth blinked again, face crumpling just the slightest amount. “I’ve al-always b-b-been able to. When I-I-I am hurt, it j-j-j-just happens.”

Amaranth felt his lips thin for just a moment, he had many many questions he wanted to ask now, but… Iorwerth probably didn’t have the answers to them.

“Alright then… I think that’s enough excitement for today. Where would you like to sleep?”

“In here,” Iorwerth replied without hesitation.

Amaranth sighed. He’d expected that, just a bit. “Okay, let me clean this up, and then I’ll grab you some blankets.”

Amaranth gave Iorwerth’s hand a pat and then stood, only laughing on the inside a little bit at Iorwerth’s now puzzled expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already started writing chapter 4, so don't worry


	4. Expansion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> obtaining more of something is most often a good thing

Amaranth opened his door to reveal Blodwen floating there, her wings beating fast. He didn’t say anything, just raised his eyebrow.

“So…” She paused, thinking over her words or something like that. “I may have been temporarily exiled.”

Amaranth released a long and tired sigh. “What did you do this time?”

Blodwen waved a hand, making circles with her wrist. “I, uh, may have said that my siblings were all too busy bedding other people to become effective rulers… in front of my mother… and the rest of the court.”

Amaranth blinked slowly, unimpressed, before sighing again and opening the door.

“You could have gone to some other neutral territory,” Amaranth said, only pretending to be annoyed.

“Oh, Pfft! That wouldn’t be anywhere near as fun.”

Amaranth stared at her retreating form and tried to remember if her mother had ever given off such reckless vibes. He failed.

“If you ever get disinherited, I’m not letting you stay here.”

Blodwen turned back to face him, smirking. “That’s what your garden is for, silly.”

“I hate you, so, so much,” Amaranth said flatly.

Blodwen changed her smirk into a smile. “I know.”

Amaranth released another sigh and walked into the sitting room. He needed to check on his other guest.

Iorwerth was awake, posture stiff as his eyes followed the small fae princess through the house.

“Please try not to bother each other too much?” Amaranth asked.

Iorwerth’s eyes snapped to him, but his expression didn’t change. His eyes just stared at him, as if looking right through him.

“Please,” Amaranth repeated.

Iorwerth went back to looking at Blodwen.

Amaranth ran a hand over his face, feeling so very tired, even though the day had just begun.

“I need to go into town today, do you two promise not to break anything,  _ and that includes each other _ , while I’m gone?”

Iorwerth didn’t answer, but Blodwen gave him a quick “sure” as she began to attack his kitchen.

Amaranth sighed into his hands. “Gods, I need more friends.”

“Well, fuck you too, buddy!”

Iorwerth growled and Amaranth groaned.

 

********

 

While Amaranth definitely lived inside the forest of the Fae, that didn’t mean he wasn’t far away from people. For whatever crazy reason, about two hundred years ago, some people had decided that living near the forest of the temperamental fae was a good idea. Now, it had grown into  a sizable little town, nothing too extravagant, but a livable place with it’s own lord-overseer. 

Technically speaking, Amaranth was considered a local, what with basically everyone in the town going to him for healing and other basic magical tasks, but he was far enough from the town borders to avoid having to pay taxes.

“Oh, Amaranth, how nice to see you!” one of the locals, a woman named Seren said when she saw him.

He smiled at her and waved politely. “Lovely to see you too, Seren.”

“You’ll be happy to hear that your request finally came in,” she said jollily. Which was reasonable, Amaranth really only made special requests of the merchants in town if he wanted something exotic or magical, but  _ helpful _ to the people. 

“Folant instructed everybody to tell you if we were to see you, so you knew to head right to him,” she concluded.

Amaranth bowed his head respectfully. “Thank you, then,” he said, before heading on his way.

Folant’s store was an interesting one, he had contacts to various merchants and caravans all over the kingdom, a very unusual but helpful feat for someone in such a remote location. Amaranth could only begin to guess the history that led to such a thing, since the man was nearing seventy years old, but Folant remained rather tight lipped about it, despite letting Amaranth use his connections to his advantage.

“I heard you got what I asked for?” Amaranth said as he walked into the store, rather than uttering a greeting.

Folant just smiled at him and nodded, wispy hair swaying a bit from the motion.

“Indeed I did, mister Amaranth, sir. Don’t know what you’re gonna be using it for, as always, but I hope it’s something good!”

Amaranth shook his head in mild amusement. “It’s just a few new seeds, some plants that I can turn into some more useful burn lotions. The stuff I’ve been using has not been as effective as I would like.”

Folant nodded like he understood, but really he didn’t. Magic was just beyond the capacity of some people, Apothecary too, if it was miraculous enough. The levels of what was considered good or not just stretched beyond what they could comprehend.

“I also need to pick up some basic stuff,” Amaranth said. “Blankets and clothes and the like. I happen to have gained myself a very surprising, sudden, and unruly tenant who seems very fond of being in the nude near constantly.”

Folant made an intrigued face at him, looking every bit like he didn’t believe him.

“Really now? What, you got yourself a toddler out there?”

Amaranth laughed out loud. “Gods, I wish. A toddler would perhaps be easier to deal with, but no. Iorwerth is fully grown… he’s just not had the best of luck. I’m taking care of him, since I’m very sure no one else would.”

Folant’s face went a little sour, but not in the way that meant he was angry or upset. He was just confused, and thinking.

“Well… Mrs. Wellynbarry came by a few days ago and dropped off some quilts so I could send them over to some orphanages I know, but I can spare one of those for you. However, you’ll have to make the clothes yourself, not many folks here like making suitable clothes for adults only to give them away.”

Amaranth sighed and dropped some coins on the counter. “I thought as such, but you never know, right?”

The old man chuckled before ducking into the back of the shop.

 

********

 

Amaranth knew how to make clothes, it was an important and universal skill, but what he didn’t know was how to make cloth, nor did he have the funds to always buy his own, which is why he was a customer of the town’s tailor. She, thankfully, always had an outfit on the ready for him, since his unusual garden tended to cause damage to his clothes, and he had the skills necessary to modify the garments to fit his new housemate.

So, it was with a smile on his face that he headed home, a smile that dropped the moment he set foot on his land. The very air felt  _ wrong _ , different in a way he could feel deep inside him but couldn’t ever describe with words. Something magical, and very powerful, had used its influence.

“Impossible…” Amaranth muttered under his breath as he broke into a run.

The fae were a powerful race, in fact the  _ most powerful _ race next to the gods themselves. The god’s gifted children, they could change and warp reality using magic far beyond the comprehension of even the most skilled of mages from other races and species. Once before, just once, Amaranth had been privy to the sight of a fae’s true extent with their magic, but this… whatever it was, felt much  _ much _ more dangerous.

“Blodwen!?” Amaranth shouted as soon as he opened his door. “Tell me what in the hells is happening!”

He received no answer, so he rushed into the closest room, the kitchen, to find his fae friend holding Iorwerth hostage in a spherical barrier, the furniture and all the windows in the room broken and laying in pieces.

“Blodwen…” Amaranth said very carefully. “What’s going on?”

The princess turned to face him and grimaced.

“The gods were very displeased with you helping out little Iorwerth here, sent some minions to… fix that. In his panic, he kinda… disintegrated them.”

Amaranth blinked as Iorwerth tried to break free, clawing with blunt fingernails against the translucent magenta wall.

“ _ What!? _ ” Amaranth exclaimed.

Blodwen smiled, something ugly and pleased and mystified.

“Your little wild child here has a god inside him.”

Iorwerth growled and Amaranth could only stare at him in mind numbing awe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me forever to get right, and I honestly don't know if I'll be able to write more of this, simply because writing this one chapter took so much out of me. I'm drained of this story, despite the world itself still interesting me.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like the story, there is a discord for fans of my stories where you can discuss it :D  
> https://discord.gg/tBGA5fU


End file.
